The Price of Glory
by Scorpiogrl
Summary: The old proverb "Be careful what you wish for!" has a whole new meaning for Jess. Eventual Legolas/OC. I'm trying not to let her end up as a mary-sue but I write what comes out of the vortex of my mind so don't kill me. Constructive Critism very welcome.
1. Chapter 1

** Disclaimer ** Ok, now to get this over with. Anything that you recognize does not belong to me. In fact, if every million years a bird flew by a beach and picked up a single grain of sand, after a hundred-million years I still wouldn't own, Legolas or Lucius Malfoy. (Lucius Malfoy has nothing to do with this story, I just think that he's sexy, but you get my point.)

** A/N ** Thoughts are shown like this: _"Text"_

Regular speaking and narration: "Text"

Dream Sequence: "**Text"**

Jess Barlow walked home from school at an extremely sedate pace. She was an average prettyish girl, not one to really stand out in a crowd. She was around 5"6', with blonde hair to her mid-back, and green eyes. One good thing about living in an extremely small town, walking everywhere is an extremely useful way of staying in decent shape. She couldn't really say that she was built or anything, more like the old version of feminine, all curves and softness. She was satisfied with the way she looked and that was all that really mattered after all.

"Man that's corny! I really got to stop doing these dialogue things in my head, no more fanfiction for me." Jess looked around and it was only when she noticed that the other people who took the shortcut thru the park that was next to her house were looking at her oddly, that she realized that she was talking to herself.

_"Dang, now they're really going to think that I'm crazy." _Jess blushed and quickly jogged up the steps and entered her house.After saying hello to her mother, sister, and Marly, the family's German Shepherd, she headed to her room. Arriving she dropped her school stuff and pulled out her trig. homework. Luckily this weeks lessons were fairly easy so she didn't waste much time doing that chore.

"Thank God that's over! Now I can get to the good stuff." Muttering to herself Jess plopped herself down at her computer and pulled up her favorite fanfiction site, and her itunes playlist. She quickly clicked her way to the stories about that most wonderful trilogy, The Lord of the Rings. Now she wouldn't call herself obsessed but she was extremely fond of the story. She knew a majority of the details, but preferred the movies to the books, she thought them a bit dry, and even spoke a little elvish, only a few horribly accent-butchered words that she had managed to pick up here and there.

"_Hmm, what shall I read today, I'm in a Legolas-ish mood so I'll look through there_." She loved to read fanfiction, or just about any fantasy book really. There was something so alluring about escaping everyday life to go on some epic adventure. She especially liked the ones that contained romance, although she didn't really care for canon all that much, but that really depended on the story and the characters. After finding a promising looking story, Jess got herself comfortable and began to read.

A Few Hours Later

"Jessie, honey, come on it's time for dinner." Jess jumped as her mother called her to dinner.

"Man, I was really into that one, I can believe that it's dinner time already." Jess turned off her screen and headed toward the kitchen to fix her plate.

As she sat down her sister, Jill, was telling her parents about her day, which had been apparently overstuffed with 5th grade drama, based on how loud she was speaking. Not really listening, she sat down and stared to daydream about her own fabulous Middle Earth adventure.

_"Oh, who am I kidding, even if stuff like that did happen, why would it happen to me. I mean I'm not exactly Mary-Sue material, I'm average looking, with a above decent home life. Seriously that worst thing going on is that I'm perpetually single, never even had my first kiss, and everyone thinks that I'm a bit of a dweeb. So I probably shouldn't hold my breath for my handsome elf in shiny armor to appear." _Jess hardly noticed when she finished eating, washed her dishes, took a bath, and settled down for bed, she was too involved in her daydream.

That night her dreams were strange, not in any way that she could pinpoint, nor would she remember them until much later.

**She was standing in the middle of a field filled with tiny white flowers. There was a strange music in the air that sounded like many people singing in perfect harmony. Her renaissance style dress and hair, moved around her in the breeze. The sound of a throat being cleared behind her made her turn around. A few steps back stood a strange looking elderly man, no one that she ****recognized****, but in who she felt she could trust. The man looked up at her and said, "The time is upon you my dear, Your destiny will now begin to truly unfold, let me show you what is in store. Suddenly there was a bright flash of light and images and Jess knew no more. **

The sound of her alarm clock woke her the next morning. Reaching a hand up to wipe her eyes she was startled to discover that she had been crying in her sleep. In fact now that she thought about it there was an ache deep in her chest that felt like her heart had been ripped out, severely beaten, turned into a slinky, and then thrown away. Seeing no good reason that she should feel that way, she decided not to let it bother her and set about getting ready for the upcoming day.

Before leaving the house she made sure to kiss her parents, and grab her all-in-one Lord of the Rings book to keep her from boredom throughout the day. Being as she had an early tutoring session in Anatomy this morning she wasn't all too worried about the thick mist swirling about the park as she walked through on the way to school.

_"If I hurry , I can still get in my morning swim, before heading to Mr. Swansins room. Man, why did I take all of these elective my senior year?" _Finally arriving at the school, Jess tossed her stuff beside the pool, and changed into her bathing suit. After swimming a few laps around the pool she reached for her waterproof purse and pulled out her beloved book.

Suddenly she felt a wierd swirling sensation in the water. Jess looked down and nearly screamed, below her there was a huge whirlpool and it was sucking her down, waterproof purse, book, and all.

_"Oh my God! What the hell is going on! I was in the fucking shallow end for God's sake!" _Jess looked around and saw that she was in a strange watery vertex and that there was a bright light up ahead, accompanied by cheery birdsong. Abruptly she was tossed out and landed hard on a fresh patch of grass. Before fainting she managed to see giant trees surrounded by bright sunlight.

_"Fuck, I had to die a virgin!"_

Ok guys, the first chapters out. I'll try to write more as fast as possible but you know how it is. Of course you could try bribing me with good reviews. I'll take flames too, but try not to toast me too much, I burn easily. Anyways as a side note, I like a lot of build-up so this story will reflect that, meaning that it will be quite a few chapters (depending on how it works out in my head) before I even get to story of the ring, sorry if that bothers, but It's my cookie.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer** Ok, now to get this over with. Anything that you recognize does not belong to me. In fact, if every time that you went outside you planted an oak tree, and those oak tress grew large enough to cover the world and block out the sun, I still wouldn't own, Legolas or Lucius Malfoy. (Lucius Malfoy has nothing to do with this story, I just think that he's sexy, but you get my point.)

**A/N** Thoughts are shown like this: "Text"

Regular speaking and narration: "Text"

**Around the year 1000 of the Third Age**

Jess felt horrible, it was so bad that she hadn't even open her eyes yet and she still wanted to die, everything hurt, even her toenails. She didn't know what had happened, but she wasn't ready to face it yet, for now she would lay here with her eyes closed and absorb her surroundings. After a moment she was very glad that she had, there were other people around her talking quietly in voices that she didn't recognize, although struck a cord of a distant memory. 

"Mithrandir, what were you thinking, bringing her here now, it is nowhere near her time, and we have not even arrived ourselves. For one thing the people may not accept her."

"Do not worry CurunÍr, all is as it should be, yes I summoned her early, but it will do only good in the long run. All we know for sure it that she is a very important part of this worlds future. We are not sure how but we do know that it will be during an extremely dangerous time and if we had waited she would not have been prepared. You have also looked upon her world through the looking glass and know that it is nothing like the one we are traveling to. At least this way she will have time to prepare herself, more then enough time in fact."

"Of course, I see what you mean, but you forget that she is only mortal, what is there to be sure that she will not die in this world before she is needed?"

Jess lay perfectly still as she listened to the conversation going on around her.

_"Mithrandir, hmm, why does that name sound so familiar. Are they talking about me? Where the hell am I!"_

"Ah but she will not have to worry about that. Yes she is a mortal, but not one from this world, she will continue to age as she would on her own, you have to remember the difference between the speed of time between our worlds. She wouldn't have been much older then this if we had summoned her later anyway. Now I think that we have confused our guest enough as it is, come on my dear, we know that you are awake."

_"I guess that there is no hope for it, might as well see what's going on."_ Jess opened her eyes and looked around quickly. She discovered that she was on a cot in a medium sized room. There were little furnishings other then the cot, only a small table with two chairs, on which sat writing utensils, and around which sat two the source of the voices. They were men, who seemed to be of an advanced age with out actually being old. The one who sat on the closest chair to her was dressed in a grey robe and possessed with twinkling eyes and a kind smile. He reminded her a bit of the grandfather she couldn't quite remember and it made her feel better to just look at her, he also reminded her of someone that her mind refused to remember. The other wore a white robe and had a more sever look about and despite the others words looked surprised to see that she was in fact awake.

_"I bet he didn't know that I was listening even if the other did, I wonder who they are?"_

"Good, good. we were beginning to think that you might never awake, I am sure that you have many questions for us, but first I suggest that you have something to eat and drink before we begin."

As soon as he said it Jess realized that she was in fact starving.

_"What the hell, I doubt they'd poison me know, who knows how long I've been out."_ Jess nodded and sent the old man a smile of thanks, before grabbing the plate that he had picked up from the small stool behind him that she had not seen. For the next few minutes Jess thought about nothing but the savory meat stew and sweet water the she ate. Soon enough though she was full and looked up to see that the old man in grey looked amused at her hunger and that the other one seemed to have left. Embarrassed at both her manners and lack of attention she pushed her food away.

"Excuse me, I was very hungry." No he definitely looked amused.

"Nothing to forgive my dear. I imagine that you would be quite hungry after your journey. Now ask me all of your questions, I will do my best to answer them." With that he settled down in his chair as if he was expecting to be there for a while.

"Ok. well I guess I'll start with where are we? I'm pretty sure that we're on a boat, I can feel the room rocking in that way that only boats can achieve. Also how did I get here, why was I sore before, but not now, and who are you and that other guy, and what do you want with me?" Jess took a deep breath and looked expectantly at the man. 

"Well, my dear, we are currently on route to Arda to help the creatures of light that live there with the darkness that threatens them. Yes we are on a boat. You are here because I summoned you here from you"re world because the Valar have foretold that you have a great part to play in future. You were sore as a result of that summoning and your appearance here, you are not now because of a herbal remedy that I put in your water. Also, forgive me for being so rude, but my name is Mithrandir, but you may call me Gandalf if you wish, the other that you met is CurunÍr." After he finished he looked at her shocked face and laughed.

"Yes, I thought that you would recognize that name, and yes I am telling the truth, Welcome to Middle Earth."

It is needles to say that she was disbelieving at first, but as she talked late into the night with Gandalf, and he explained everything, she gradually realized that this was really happening, she was on her way to Middle Earth. Of course with the acceptance of her situation there came many question. Over the course of there talks, which usually took place on the deck (which were to her disappointment she couldn't see anything as it was all shrouded in mist), she learned many things, such as the War if the Ring had not taken place yet, in fact it was a few thousand years in the future by her reckoning, that she would spend her first hundred or do years on Middle Earth in Lothlorien, learning the roaps or something like that. The coolest thing was that she wouldn't age, ok she would would but actually at a massively slow rate, It had something to do with the fact that her world rotated at a much slower rate then the one she was on now. CurunÍr, who she soon realized was in fact Saruman, she tried to avoid as much as possible. She was both surprised and pleased to discover that her pack had made the travel with her, meaning that she had her handy book with her should she ever need to look something up. After about a month since she woke up Gandalf came to talk to her.

"Ah Jess, we are close to the end of our ocean voyage, in fact we should arrive around noon tomorrow, we will meet the welcoming party from Lothlorien, there in fact,to escort us safely to their fair city. So make sure to get a good nights sleep and make sure that you are all packed up." That said, he left her to her thoughts.

_"Well I guess that thus is it, tomorrow I enter a whole new world and life. Fuck!"_

"


End file.
